Attempt to change plea denied

March 16, 2013

LISBON - A request to withdraw his plea made by Jamie Adkins, who is incarcerated for serveral convictions including involuntary manslaughter, was denied this week by Columbiana County Common Pleas Court Judge Scott Washam.

In a ruling filed this week, Washam ruled there was no clear or openly unjust act in the proceedings involving Adkins. Additionally, Washam said Adkins did not show that his attorney did not provide reasonable representation. The judge also noted that any claim of a lack of due process should have been raised at the trial.

Adkins is serving 10 years after pleading guilty on Oct. 19 to involuntary manslaughter, burglary and conspiracy to commit burglary.

Adkins submitted a handwritten motion dated Feb. 4. In it, he claimed his rights had been violated because he had ineffective assistance from his court-appointed counselor, Kelly Linger.

Adkins wrote that during plea negotiations he had told Linger that in order for him to sign the plea agreement, the prosecutors had to agree that those responsible for the death of his sister, Holly Carosiello, must be indicted before he was sentenced.

Adkins said Linger told him the prosecutor's office did agree to that stipulation, then changed her story after he signed it. At the sentencing hearing, she then reportedly told him the prosecution had not agreed to wait and it was at that point too late to withdraw his plea.

Since Adkins filed the request to withdraw his plea in February, the County Prosecutor's office has served a secret indictment involving another person in the case. Johnny P. Paroda, 22, Green Lane, East Liverpool, is charged with complicity to involuntary manslaughter, a first-degree felony; conspiracy to commit burglary, a second-degree felony; two counts of conspiracy to commit burglary, both fourth-degree felonies; and two counts of obstructing official business, both third-degree felonies.